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Michael Rayeski
Dr. Stacy Pratt
ENGL 101
3/10/15
“The Greatest Speech ever made, by a Silent Film Actor”
The video “A Message To Humanity – Charlie Chaplin” is a moving presentation
narrated by one of the most famous silent film actors in cinema history, Charlie Chaplin. The
video uses a speech taken from the movie The Great Dictator performed by Charlie Chaplin
while showing intense visuals to capture the emotions during his speech. This video shows the
good nature in people vs. the unjust and cruel leadership by tone, music and visual effects. This
video is intended not only to capture Charlie Chaplin fans but also to spread a message of hope
and humanity across a wide audience.
The opening scene draws in the audiences with curiosity, showing an old black and white
film, and standing with a look of despair is Charlie Chaplin dressed as Adolf Hitler. Standing
behind a podium he starts his speech, with the opening words “I don’t want to be an emperor.
That’s not my business. I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help every one if
possible...” Immediately the viewer gets a sense of deep grief as images of people helping each
other during heartaches appear. One of a fire fighter holding a child in his arms, as he appears
from the smoke, running away from a burning building. Another, of a man handing a baby off to
its rescuers from on top of a building. Music playing in the background is subtle but intriguing,
with its long sorrow chords, pulling deep emotion from within its audience.
Chaplin’s narration continues, “…We all want to help one another, human beings are like
that. We want to live by each other’s happiness, not by each others misery. We don’t want to hate
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and despise one another. On this world there is room for every one. The good earth is rich and
can provide for every one, with the way of life to be free and beautiful…” Showing deep and
rich forests filled with beautiful flowing rivers cutting through thick green trees. Another image
flashes quickly, herds of animals running freely throughout the forest. Creating a feeling of
freedom and hope with the viewers.
Chaplin continues, “… We have lost the way. Greed has poisoned mens souls. It has
barricaded the world with hate, has introduced us to misery and bloodshed…” An image of a boy
resembling a skeleton of a body hunched over into the dirt. Another of soldiers fighting on a
battlefield, surrounded with explosions as fellow soldiers lie dead on the ground. “…Our
knowledge has made us cynical… we think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we
need humanity, more than cleverness we need kindness… Million of despairing men, women and
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